The Opelousas courier., 1887-10-08
The TecHae COsamt try.

tiIuIeStrchn duu WHcn WOulQ u0&G I'd new |
Orleans If the bayou was in proper condition
and with a proper outlet to this city. At pres
emit the water communication is very defec-
and bad, open only q short period of the |
year, and closLd that portion when it ia most
needed, when the crops are being harvested
and shipped to market. The Upper Teche is |
navigable only during high water. Even
when boats can run on it the route to New
Orleans is long, circnit0us and dangerous.
They must run down the Teche into the At
ehafalaya, then up that stream with all its dan
gers and difficulties, to encounter finally the
bar in Old River, which closes this outlet to
them a large portion of the year. Hthey can
get over the bar the trip is easy down the
Mississippi to New Orleans. This route is
twice MS long rs it ought to be, twice az ex-
pensive and with dangers fourfold as great rs
necessary. There shouh be, first of all, what
has frequently been proposed and even ar
ranged for, the opening of BAYOU Pisuuamlue.
This route, once open, will cut short The trip
q couple of hundred miles, get rid of the dan
gers Of the Atfhafalaya and of being cut off
by the Old river bar.
Ther-has been a general demand for the
openi1g of this bayou, aud the chances point
to its being done nc Gid early day. There ID
neef1ed, however, for the upper Teche some
thing mora. some slight improvements that
will render it navigable and give the people
of that section an outlet to market. The COM
merce of 81. Martin alone in the shipment Of
NEG0nGA AnN En6 EGEHlDk Oh DfOVtStGl@. 2NEt-5
plies and other goods ID estimated for the
coming season ut 81, 500, 900, aud the
of the other Darishes interested in this inn
nroyemeut would make the total from sI2.-
Doc. 900 10 SIS, O00,O 900. For q considerable por-
tion of this region there is no other outlet TO
market than the Teche, and when it ID closed
70 them the farmers and planters have to
hanl their produce away q number of miles in
order to shin il. Better outlets to market
would undoubtedly be- Of great public benefit
to this fertile section and tend to largely in
crease it's prodnction aud population.
The above is an editorial from the columns
offM Times. Democrat. aud following il the
letter Of Capt. King to that journal on which
the article is based
Having been appointed by the police iuries
Of the PARISHES oil st. Martin, Iberia aud prob
ably Sc. Mary to ascertain the commerce of
the Teehe country, and having finished s..
Martin parish and being ready to make my
report to the police jury, | have concluded To
send q copy Of the same to you tor publica-
ton.
To enable me to perform the duty required
of me it was necessary to visit all portions of
the parish of St. Martin, to see the people per-
sonalIy and TO get all the information from
them / could, 80 No TO be able to give mos only
the commerce Of 1886, which was y short crop
year, but also of this year. This / have done,
to make. ! have visited the people, aud as
eertained what each one has made, gained or
shipped. Then have consolidated the whole,
so that it can be- seen the amount of each
commodity shipped and the amount imported.
! find that she commerce OF the parish
amounts to 81 ,I6S,S39 ID, the exports 20 $780,
023. IS d the imports 20 500, 906 30. This
uoes hot inclnde all exports, tor II was lna-
possible for me to- get everything that was
shipped out of the country.
The whole of this commerce 10 either di-